Locking mechanism



R. E. sMlTH Feb. 23, 1937.

LOCKING MECIjIAN I SM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1935 INVENTOR LPI/ E. SN/7W.

' ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1937. R. E. sMlTH 2,071535 LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 14, '1935 5 sneets-sheet 2 Feb. 23, 1937. R. E. sMlTH LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 14, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Pl/DH E- .f N/TH- BY pk) G- ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LooKING MECHANISM a corporation of Ohio Application January 14, 1935, Serial No. 1,600

5 Claims.

This invention relates to locking mechanisms and, in particular, to devices for looking the hoods or covers of grave vaults to the bases thereof.

One object of this invention is to provide a looking device for locking the hood to the base of a grave Vault at approximately the corners thereof, so as to provide an even tension and latching effect.

' Another object is to provide a locking device of this character, wherein the latohes are arranged in pairs at each end of the base, each pair being operated by a lever having a handle projecting outside the base.

Another object is to provide a grave Vault with a base having a lock box incorporated therein and adapted not only to contain the looking mechanism, but also to add rigidity to the base and further decrease its tendency to sink into the earth.

Another object is to provide a looking system for looking .grave Vault hoods to the bases thereof, the latching members being connected to an Operating lever which extends downward beneath the base and outward beyond it so that the looking mechanism may be operated by moving the portion of the lever beneath the base insthe event that the end of the lever becomes broken off.

Another object is tol provide a locking system for looking the hood of a grave Vault to the base, wherein the hoodvis provided with an inwardly bent ange adapted to be engaged by the latching member of the lock and also to rest upon an upturned liplon the base in such a mannerV as to permit operation of the lock even though dirt may accidentally have fallen upon the base before the hood is placed over it.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grave Vault with its hood in position upon its` base, and showing the lock-Operating lever projecting from the base;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the base of the grave Vault of Figure 1, showing one of the latching members projecting from the ,side of the base, and the Operating lever projecting fromthe end thereof; o

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the grave Vault base shown in Figure 2, with the top thereof broken away to show the details offthe latching mechanism; v i

Figure 4 is the cross section through the end of the grave Vault base shown in Figure, taken along the line 4- 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged View, partly in cross section, showing the details of the latching member of Figure 4 in its unlatching position;

Figure' 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but in a plane at right angles thereto;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing a modified construction;

Figure 8 is a cross section through the modified construction shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the modified construction of Figures '7 and 8.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the grave 10 Vault embodying the looking device of my invention consists generally of a base I having a hood 2 which may be placed with its open side downward upon the base I. The hood 2 is pro- Videdwith handles 3 for the convenience of lower- 15 ing the hood on to the base I.

The base I comprises aV base top plate, indicated by the numeral 4, this having downwardly extending flanges 5 at its outer edges. The flanges 5 are continued outward and upward to form a groove 6 with an upwardly projecting fiange or lip 1. At Veach end of the base I, a slot 8 is cut therethrough to accommodate the Operating lever 9 of the looking mechanism, hereinafter described. The lip 'I is fiared outward, as at IO Figure 2) in order to permit the passage and operation of the latch-operating lever 9.

The side flanges 5 of the base I are also provided with apertures II through which project the latching members I 2 (Figure 2). One of these latching members I2 is arranged on each side of the base I near the corners thereof and interconnected to the other and to the Operating lever' 9 by mechanism described below.

The base top plate 4 is provided with suitable clips I3 which are adapted for the securing of the casket to the base. The hood 2 is provided at its lower edges with an inwardly extended flange I 4 which is adapted to rest upon the lip 'I of the base I. By this construction, the acci- 40 dental falling of dirt into the grave before the hood has been lowered will merely fall into the trough 6 and not prevent the operation of the lock. The inwardly extended flange Ill of the hood 2 serves the further purpose of providing means for the engagement of the latching members I2 (Figure 4).

The latching mechanism (Figures 3 and 4) consists of the previously described latching members I2 extending through the apertures II in the side walls 5 of the base I. Each latching member I2 is of double-walled construction, preferably formed from a single piece of material having wings I5 and I6 (Figure 6), which are bent toward one another and substantially at `serted as in the holes 35.

right angles to the front face |1 of the latch member. A lower portion |8 of the front face |1 is bent backward to form the lower contact surface of the latch member 2 (Figures 4 and 5). The horizontal cross section through the latch member |2 thus roughly resembles a letter U.

Each latching member 2 is provided with holes |9 in the side wings |5 and |6 thereof, and through these is passed the pivot shaft of the latch member. (Figures 5 and 6). struction shown, the pivot shaft 20 also passes through holes 2| in a pair of angle brackets 22, and the ends of the pivot shaft 20 are enlarged so as to secure the whole together. The bent portions 23 of the angle brackets 22 are secured, preferably by welding, to the base bottom plate 24. Each latching member |2 is thus mounted for free pivoting upon its pivot shaft 20, `but is urged into a latching position by means of a looped coil spring 25 (Figures 4 and 5). This spring 25 is roughly U-shaped (Figure 3) and has a forward loop 26, the spring being coiled around the pivot shaft 20 and its arms 21 extended backward and upward into contact with the base plate 4 (Figure 4). The forward loop 26 engages the inner surface of the forward wall |1 of the latching member |2, urging it outward into a latching position. In this position the lower forward surface 8 of the latohing member passes over the fiange |4 of the grave vault hood 2, thus looking the hood securely to the base and against the upwardly projecting lip 1 thereof.

The backwardly projecting wings |5 and |6 of each latching member |2 are so formed as to provide notched portions 30, which are arranged to serve as cam surfaces. These notches 30 are arranged to receive the lock slides 3|. Each slide 3| consists of a U-shaped member attaohed to a control rod 32, as by the enlarged portions 33 thereon. Thus when the slide 3| is moved'away from the side wall, the latch member will be 'disengaged from the hood (Figure 5); when the slide 3| is pushed inward toward the side Wall 5, however, the upper portion of the slide will enter the notches 30 in the latch wings |5 vand |6, allowing the latch member |2 to be rotated downward and outward through its aperture and over the fiange 4 of the hood 2. i

The oppositely disposed latch members |2 (Figures 3 and 4) are operated simultaneously by their rods 32 through the action of theV pivoted bar 34 into which the ends of the rods are in- 'I'h'e bar .34 is secured to a cup-shaped spacer 36, such as by welding, in such a manner that the spacer 36 'raise's the bar 34 a suflicient distanceabove the bottom plate 24 of the base The lock-Operating rod 9 is likewise secured to the bar 35, as by welding, and is bent in the manner shown in Figure 6. The inner end 40 of the Operating rod 9 is bent-downward so that it passes through a hole 4| in the spacer 36 and likewise through a hole 42 in the bottom plate 24. A Washer 43 and a cotter pin 44 prevent the displacement of the innerV end 340 of the control rod 9.

Beyond the inner end 40, the control rod 9 is provided with the horizontally bent portion 45, which passes through a hole 46 in the spacer 36, andbeyond this is bent downward in the .Vertical portion 41 which passes through a slot$48 in the bottom plate 24. Beyond this pointV the Operating rod 9 extends outward in a horizontal portion 49 through the slot 8. By this construc- In the con-f tion, the Operating rod 9 may be operated even though its outer end 50 may have been accidentally broken off. This is done by merely moving the horizontal portion 49 in a suitable direction either to lock or unlock the latching mechanism previously described.

The modified form of latching mechanism shown in Figures 7 to 9 inclusive is generally similar to that previously described, and similar parts are given corresponding numerals. Instead of the bar 34, however, a disk 5| (Figure 1) is employed to receive the ends of the control rods 32, and to this disk is attaohed the horizontal portion 52 of the lock-Operating rod 53. On either side of the horizontal portion 52, the Operating rod 53 is extended downward in vertical portions 54 and 55, the latter portion passing through a slot 56 in the bottom plate 24 (Figure 9), and thereafter is bent outward in a second horizontal portion 51. Thenoeforth the .portion 51 passes through a slot 58 near the lower edge of the base, and continues over a fiange |0 in the outer lip 1 of the base.

The operation of the latching mechanism of my invention has been sufi'lciently disclosed in describing the construction thereof. To place the hood 2 upon the base the former is merely lowered on to the latter. At the same time the lock-Operating lever 9 is moved in such a manner as to draw the latch control rods 32 to- Ward one another (Figure 3), thus withdrawing the latch members 2 into the interior of the base by way of the apertures When the hood 2 is in its proper position upon the base I, the

lever .9 is moved in the reverse direction, allowing the latch members |2 to pass outward through their apertures and engage the lower fiange |4 on the hood 2.

The operation of the modified form of looking mechanism shown in Figures 7 to 9 is substantially similar to that of the form shown in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive. -By the box-like construction of the base to contain the looking mechanism, I have .provided not only a container for the locking mechanism, but also a construction which adds to the rigidity of the base. This construction also further serves to vprevent the vault from sinking into the earth.

When lever 50 is in locked position, it is not necessary to operate the lever because when setting the top on the base, the looks operate automatically. In Figures 3 or 4, the lever stays either in the looking or open position as shown in Figure'. Part 34 extends through the box 24 and can be operated to unlock the bar from the top of the Vault when the Vault is standing on end, or if lever 50 should be broken off.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I olaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a looking system for a grave Vault comprising a unitary hood adapted to be locked upon a base having a looking system enclosed in a portion thereof; a pair of horizontally pivoted latch members spring-pressed outwardly of said base and having downwardly disposed cam portions at the rear thereof, inverted U-shaped slide members disposed in said cam portions, operating rods each rigidly connected at one end to said slide members and pivotally connected at the other end to an Operating member pivoted about a Vertical axis disposed between said latch members, whereby said Operating member may be moved about its pivot and the latch members swung inwardly against spring pressure.

2. In a looking system for a grave Vault comprising a unitary hood adapted to be locked upon a base having a looking system enolosed in a portion thereO-f; a pair of horizontally pivoted latch members spring-pressed Outwardly of said base and having downwardly disposed cam portions at the rear thereof, inverted U-shaped slide members disposed in said cam portions, Operating rods each rigidly connected at one end to said slide members and pivotally connected at the other end to an Operating member pivoted about a Vertical axis disposed between said latch members, and said rods being pivotally attached to said member upon directly opposite sides of said axis, said Operating member comprising a centrally pivoted bar having an Operating handle thereon extending beyond the base, whereby the latch members may be swung inwardly against spring pressure by swinging the Operating member about its axis by means of the Operating handle.

3. In a looking system for a grave Vault comprising a unitary hood adapted to be looked upon a base having a looking system enclosed in a portion thereof; a pair of horizontally pivoted latch members spring-pressed outwardly of said base and having downwardly disposed cam portions at the rear thereof, inverted U-shaped slide members disposed in said cam portions, Operating rods each rigidly connected at One end to said slide members and pivotally connected at the Other end to an Operating member pivoted about a Vertical axis disposed between said latch members, said Operating member comprising a centrally pivoted plate having an Operating handle thereon, whereby said Operating member may be moved about its pivot and the latch members swung inwardly against spring pressure.

4. In a looking system for a grave Vault, a pair of Oppositely disposed Outvvardly spring urged latch members pivotally mounted about horizontal axes and having backward extending arms with cam surfaces on the underside thereof, a pair of slide members of inverted U form each disposed with its top in contact with the cam surfaces of one of said latch members and guided for sliding movement in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said latch member, a pair of control rods each having One end rigidly attached to one of said slide members, and an Operating member pivotally mounted on a Vertical axis disposed between said latch members, each of said rods having its other end pivotally attached to said Operating member at opposite sides Of the axis thereof and being so bent that rotary movement of said Operating member will cause sliding movement of said slide members inwardly, whereby to draw the latch members inwardly against spring pressure.

5. In a looking system for a grave Vault, a pair of oppositely disposed Outwardly spring urged latch members pivotally mounted about horizontal axes and having backward extending arms with cam surfaoes on the underside thereof, a pair of slide members of inverted U form each disposed with its top in contact with the cam surfaces of One Of said latch members and guided for sliding movement in a direction perpendioular to the axis of said latch member, a pair of control rods each having one end rigidly attached to one of said slide members, and a disk pivotally mounted on a Vertical axis disposed between said latch members, each of said rods having its Other iend pivotally attached to said disk at opposite sides of the axis thereof and being so bent that rotary movement of said disk will cause sliding movement of said slide members inwardly, whereby tO draw the latch members inwardly against spring pressure.

RALPH E. SMI'I'H. 

